Holidays abroad: Thanksgiving

For a long time I was a bit of a grinch when it came to the holidays. As I got older, though, I started to appreciate them more. Now they are a way for me to honor the seasons, and a reason to gather loved-ones together to celebrate. What happens, then, when you move 4,418 miles away from your friends, family, community, and the culture that you grew up in? Well… you “wing it:, I guess (sorry, turkey pun, this blog is about Thanksgiving). So, on the off-chance that you have not had American culture foisted upon you to the Nth degree and you were itching to know the details of a Thanksgiving Day Fest, here’s my introduction to American Thanksgiving.

When

Thanksgiving is always held the fourth Thursday of November. In fact in 1941 the US Congress passed a law stating as much.Why? Well, it’s America… it has to do with money (sigh).

The dark underbelly of Thanksgiving

The history of the origins of Thanksgiving is quite dark, and, while I knew it wasn’t the cheerful story of friendship between Pilgrims and Indians that I was fed as a child, I don’t think I realized quite how disturbing the violent displacement was of the native people who inhabited what is now the US. So much so that I’ve decided to separate it into its own blog post, where I can muse more on the possible ramifications of celebrating a holiday that has such roots and if it can ethically be separated from its historical context.

Video: http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/mayflower-myths/videos/kids-history-the-first-thanksgiving (note there are problematic portrayals within the children’s’ “re-enactment”)

But for todays post, if it’s possible, I’d like to focus on the holiday as a piece of American in the context of an opportunity to acknowledge the fall season, to gather with a community of loved-ones, and to have a celebration of gratitude, and – of course this is all expressed with what? Well, with food. Of course.

Here’s the lowdown on current traditional Thanksgiving foods with links to recipes in case you feel the need to join in the gluttony:

Turkey

Is so vital to Thanksgiving, it is often referred to as “Turkey Day”. If you don’t know already, turkey is (according to google’s definition) “a large mainly domesticated game bird native to North America, having a bald head and (in the male) red wattles”.

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_turkey

This bird is, essentially, what makes Thanksgiving Thanksgiving – it is the main course of the meal for non-vegetarian Americans.

Vegetables/Salads

Yes, these are generally a part of the Thankgiving feast, and while people like me may get excited for them, they do not tend to get the spotlight in the average American Thanksgiving (sadly). So, while there may be a salad, peas and carrots, or a side of green beans, you’d have to invite a weird-beard like me to end up with, say, a delicious massaged kale salad, and some roasted brussels sprouts.

Image: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/67952/roasted-brussels-sprouts/

Biscuits or rolls

Honestly it was usually rolls when I was growing up. Too bad, as biscuits are delicious (by this I refer to American-style buttermilk biscuits), but really, in the carb-fest that is Thanksgiving, you don’t really need biscuits… or rolls… because there’s:

Yams or some sort of disgusting yam concoction

Don’t get me wrong, I love a roasted yam. But some of the ‘classic’ American yam recipes have marshmallows in them! Why?? I hear you, you’re thinking, logically, no self-respecting people would eat that much sugar for ‘dinner’. In other words, “that’s dessert, right?”. Well, you may be logical, but you are wrong. Dessert is yet to come…

Pumpkin Pie

Perhaps the most classic of Thanksgiving desserts, pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream usually makes an appearance at Thanksgiving celebrations. Apple pie, pecan pie and chocolate cream pie may be among other desserts that join the fray. It’s a pie-heavy event.

So, now that you’re armed with the component parts and recipes for Thanksgiving, you can always go forth and create one yourself, even if it’s just an excuse to gather your friends together.

In closing, I just want to reach out to my fellow international students – if you are missing a holiday that’s unique to your culture because you’re here – consider sharing it with your community here (whether or not you have a community of your own country(wo)men – share it with everybody). I know that I love to learn more about other cultures, and one great way to do it is through the food, festivities, and cultural eccentricities of a celebration-day. And, if they have a dark underbelly (like Thanksgiving does), maybe that’s also an opportunity for an open dialogue and a chance to learn from other cultures’ mistakes.